Relationship between cross section and matrix normalization of polarized radiation scattering

A simple relationship between the total scattering cross section and the normalizing constant of the scattering matrix for the general case of an arbitrary scattering particle and elliptically polarized incident radiation is obtained. The polarized radiation is described by the Stokes parameters I, Q, U, V. The obtained relationship is a consequence of two forms of energy conservation. The first one is in terms of the total scattering cross section. The other one involves the normalizing constant of the scattering matrix. The obtained relationship contains dimensionless integrals of the radiation scattered over all directions of scattering. The integrals depend on the elements of the first row of the scattering matrix and on the relative values of the Stokes parameters of the incident radiation. In the case of cross section, the incident radiation is assumed to be a plane wave. In the case of normalization constant, the incident radiation is assumed to be a convergent beam. The possible dependence of the scattering integrals on specificities of the particle illumination is taken into account in the obtained relationship. The relationship may be helpful in the various cases. So, the relationship allows one to determine any of the two characteristics of the scattering process under investigation, cross section or normalizing constant, via the other one. The relationship can be used for obtaining the scattering integrals and for analyzing the influence of the incident radiation polarization on cross section and normalizing constant.